Level-indicator for plows.



No. 876,747. PATENTED JAN.14, 1908. G. w. & E. THURMOND.

LEVEL INDICATOR FOR PLOWS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. 1907.

. the United States, both residing lawn, county of Edgefield, State of South UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE w. 'rnuanonn AND EUGENE THURMOND, OF woonLAwN, SOUTH CAROLINA.

LEVEL-INDICATOR FOR FLOWS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GEORGE W. THUR- MOND and EUGENE THURMOND, citizens of at Wood- Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Level-Indicators for Flows; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will'enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

It is well known in plowin around hill sides that it is very diflicult to eep the rows plowed on a level, and that if such rows are not ke t on a substantial level, washing and other amage results which seriously impairs the fertility of the soil, and if not corrected will soon destroy the land. Heretofore, in order to indicate to the plowman the direction his furrows should he made, it has been customa to lay out with more or less precision points on the land. to guide him by means of a hand level or other surveying instrument, or to partially or whollyterrace the hill sides. Both of these methods are cumbersome and expensive, and the object of my invention is to accomplish the same desirable results, that is to say, to accomplish the plowing of rows on a substantial level without any previous preparation at all.

To these ends, my invention consists in a level indicator for plows which will show to the plowman at all times, while the plow is in motion, whether he is plowing up hill or down hill, and therefore it will enable him to know in just what direction his plow is moving, and thereby will also show'to him that he should turn his plow further up hill or further down hill, in order to keepthe furrow on a substantial level.

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application-Figure 1 represents a side elevation of a 'plow with my level indicator attached. Fig. 2 is a front Specification of Letters latent. I when man 16.1901. SQYlIINO. svsooo.

Patented Jan. 14, 1908.

withtwo' pivots'd towhich are pivoted the indicating armsg connected by links fhlez means ofthe pivots h to the Y-shaped.

i, pivoted at 'yto'the upright b, as shown. To the lower end of the Y-sha'ped is pivotally attached a Weight L. a

In operation, should the low move up hill, the tendency of the weig t L to remain in a vertical plane will cause the farther of the indicating arms 9 to rise, and should the plow move down hill, the same weight L will causethe nearer indicating arm 9 to move up and the, further arm 9 to move down, as shown in'Fig. 2. In both cases, the plowmanwill notice at once his.error, and by other he will .cause the furrow to follow a many of the disadvanta es due to washing and other destructions o the soil, which, as is well known, willfollow the making of furiowsl; on hill sides that are not substantially eve Our device, as shown, we prefer to make of metal, but, of course, it maybe made of any suitable material, and of any suitable'height or dimensions. In'prac'tice, a device of about the relative dimensions shown will answer every purpose, although one of a greater or less height will be found useful in many cases. The parts of necessity are made sufiiciently heavy to withstand the weather and the rough usage to which they must be -subjected, and this, also, compels them to be insensitive to the comparative slight and sudden changes of level due to any inequalities in the depth of the furrow. The, inecaualities of level due tothe plow going uphi 1 or downhill, however, are of greater magnitude and are much less sudden in character. And my indicator, although too sluggish to be operatedby the variations in the depth of the furrow, is, yet, sensitive enough tooperate when the plow goes up or down hill.

- suitably directing the plow to one side or the Having now described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A plow provided with means for indi eating to the plowman while plowing around;

whilethe plow is in motion, whether 'or not it is following a substantially level course around a hillside, substantially as described.

-3. A plow provided with means consisting of a level provided with a pivoted we ht for indicating to the lowinan, while p owing around a hillside, w iether he is going up hill or down hill, substantially as described.

4. A plow provided with means consisting of a level, comprising a weight, indicators and )ivotal connections between said weight and indicators, whereby the lowman is notified if he deviates, while p owing, from a substantially level course, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a plow and the level indicator, consisting of the base the pivoted indicators mounted on said ase, the Y-shaped link, links connecting the same and said indicators, and a weight ivoted to said Y-shaped link, substantial y as described.

6. In a level indicator for lows, the combination of a support adapted to be attached to a plow, indicators attached to said sup port, a pivoted link carried by said support,

connections between said indicators and said link, and a weight for moving the indicators, substantially. as described.

7. In a level indicatorfor lows, the combination -of a support adapte to be attached to a plow, pivoted indicators carried by said support, a Y-shaped link pivoted to said sup ort, links conneetin said indicators and sau. Y-shaped link, an a weight attached to the latter, substantially as described.

8. An instrument rovided with means comprising a level for mdicatin to the plowman while plowing around a hiflside the fact that he is departing from a substantially level course, and thereb enabling him to prevent undue washing 0 the soil by causing all his furrows to be substantially level, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, we a'IIix our signatures, in presence of two witnesses.

' G. W. THURMOND.

EUGENE THURMOND.

Witnesses:

Gno. Wmen'r, T. WRIGHT 

